Vibrating track racing game

ABSTRACT

A TOY RACING GAME IN WHICH THE RACING PANEL IS VIBRATED BY A MOTOR OPERATING A ROTATABLE MEMBER WHICH ENGAGES MEANS ON THE RACING PANEL, AND IN WHICH THE RACING MEMBERS ARE SUPPORTED ON FLEXIBLE LEGS SO THAT AS THE RACING PANEL IS VIBRATED THE RACING MEMBERS ARE PROPELLED OR MOVED ON THE RACING PANEL.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Sam Kupperman 1,836,115 12/1931 Gueydan 273/86 Chicago; 2,167,068 7/1939 Gueydan 273/86X Dennis l. Kuppennan, Des Plaines, 111. 2,167,985 8/1939 Levay 273/86 (both of4l39 Main St.. Skokie. 111., 60076) $233,363 2/1966 Maury 273/86X 1 1 pp 781,755 FOREIGN PATENTS [221 Had d 2 23 489,082 12/1952 Canada 46/1 1451 Pawn 268,878 9/1950 Switzerland 273/86X Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle [5 WBRATING TRACK RACING GAME Assistant ExaminerTheatrice Brown 8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs. Attorney-Max R. Kraus [52] US. Cl 273/86 [51] 1nt.C1 1. A63! 9/14 [50] Field of Search 273/86 (5); ABSTRACT: A my racing game in which the racing pane] is 46/1 vibrated by a motor operating a rotatable member which engages means on the racing panel, and in which the racing [56] Rafa-muted members are supported on flexible legs so that as the racing UNITED STATES PATENTS panel is vibrated the racing members are propelled or moved 669,943 3/1901 Leigh 273/86 on the racing panel.

16 T 2 i 2 kP211 H 1 A 2 A C 1 PATENTED JUN28 I97! WOC III/IZYI INVENTORS SAM KUPPER MAN DENNS I KUPPERMAN BY W ATTORNEY VIBRATING TRACK RACING GAME BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One of the objects of this invention is to provide a toy racing game comprising, a racing panel supported on resilient legs which is adapted to be vibrated by an electrically operated motor which rotates a rotatable member to engage means secured to the racing panel to cause the plurality of racing members supported on the panel to move relative to said panel by the vibration of the racing panel.

Another object of this invention is to provide -a toy racing game having the foregoing object in which the racing members are supported on resilient legs which as a result of the vibration of the racing panel will cause each of the racing members to move forwardly in its respective trackway, simulating a race. 1

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy racing game having a vibrating racing panel in which the racing members are each first caused to move in a linear path and when they reach the forward end of the trackway continue to move around a turnway to return the racing members to their linear path but in a direction of movement reverse to their forward movement.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy racing game having the foregoing features which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and which provides a fascinating and interesting toy.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the toy;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of one of the toy racing cars; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom plan view of FIG. 6 taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

The toy comprises a racing panel 10 having a plurality of trackways, generally indicated by the numeral 12, which may be molded of plastic or like material. The trackways 12 are spaced from each other by a linear extending central rib or raised portion 14. The trackways each have an outer sidewall 16. The front end 18 of the racing panel is widened to form a pair of turnways 20 provided with curved or arcuate-shaped outer walls 22 which merge into the outer sidewalls 16. The front end is also provided with a raised linear wall 24 and a curved wall 26 which define the turnways 20. The trackways 12 extend parallel to each other and then at their forward end each merges into a turnway 20 which in turn merges or connects with its respective trackway 12. Thus, each racing vehicle or racing member is moved along its respective trackway 12 until it reaches the forward turnway 20 where it is caused to turn at the bend and reverse its direction and continue to travel in the trackway but in a reverse direction from that which it previously traveled to reach the starting end 27 of the trackway. The starting end 27 has a transverse wall 28.

The racing panel 10 is supported on a plurality of foam rubber legs 30 which in turn rest on a table or other supporting surface to support the racing panel thereon. At the rearward end of the racing panel there is mounted a U-shaped bracket 32 having spaced ears 34. Pivotally or hingedly secured as at 35 are ears 36 which in turn are secured to a cantilevered supporting platform 38 on which is mounted a small electric motor 40, the shaft 42 of which is fixedly secured to a plastic gear 44 which extends forwardly thereof. Fixedly supported and secured to the racing panel 10 by means of a fastening member 46 is a metal washer or metal ring 48 which is in alignment with the gear 44 to be engaged thereby.

The term electric motor or electrically operated motor" wherever used herein shall include a motor operated by a battery or by any electrical current from any outlet.

The small electric motor 40 is supported in a housing 50 which in turn is secured to the pivotal motor-supporting platform 38 and said housing has a forwardly extending shield 52 which extends over the gear 44 to prevent the gear from being accidentally manually engaged by a persons fingers or hand. The motor 40 is connected by a conducting wire 54 to a small dry cell batter which is contained in a battery housing 56. A suitable switch 58 operates to open and close the circuit to the battery. When the circuit is closed the motor 40 will rotate the gear 44 in engagement with the washer 48 which in turn will cause the racing panel 10 to vibrate on the resilient supporting legs 30.

To constrain the pivotal movement of the motor-supporting platform 38 relative to the racing panel there is provided a spring 60 which has its opposite ends connected to the motorsupporting platform 38 and to the racing panel 10. In lieu of a spring, as shown a rubber band or a tensioning member may be positioned around the platform 38 and the racing panel 10. In any event, the constraining means 60, whether it be a spring or a rubber band, is adapted to urge the motor-supporting platform 38 towards the racing panel and prevent the motorsupporting platform from pivoting away from the racing panel 10.

The racing members as shown herein are designated by the numeral 62 and are preferably simulated toy racing cars which include a simulated figure seated in each car. The racing members have simulated wheels, however, the racing member does not rest on said wheels but has a plurality of spaced resilient front legs 64 and a plurality of spaced resilient rear legs 66. The front and rear legs 64 and 66 are canted or inclined rearwardly at approximately a 30 angle, as best seen in FIG. 6.

The front and rear legs are substantially parallel to each other and the bottoms of the legs engage the racing panel 10. The toy racing member may be molded of plastic material and the legs 64 and 66 are formed as an integral part of the racing member. In view of the small amount of material used in forming the legs, the legs are resilient and have sufficient give" so that while they support the racing member they would flex slightly as the racing panel 10 vibrates.

The racing members may of course be in any desired form. Instead of toy racing cards, toy horses, toy dogs, or even representations of human beings may be used, however, it is desirable that they be supported by means of resilient legs, such as shown, and simulated racing cars are the best for said purposes since the supporting legs are more or less obscured and are not as visible as they would be when used on other toy characters. While there is shown a pair of trackways, it will be understood that any number of trackways may be utilized and any corresponding number of toy racing members may be used to race in said trackways.

The operation of the toy racing game should be apparent from the foregoing, but briefly described, is as follows. With the toy cars 62 positioned adjacent the starting transverse wall 28, each in its respective trackway, as shown in FIG. I, the motor 40 is caused to be operated by the closing of the switch 58, which in turn rotates the gear 44 which engages the metal washer or ring 48 supported on the racing panel 10. This produces a continuous vibration of the racing panel 10 which is supported on the resilient legs 30. As the racing panel vibrates the racing cars 62 will move along their respective trackways toward the forward end of the trackway and when each car reaches the forward end will then by the continued vibration of the racing panel be caused to move and travel in its turnway 20 and then again into its longitudinal trackway 12, moving towards the starting wall 28, which in the reverse forward direction of the racing member becomes the finish line. The first car reaching the starting or finish wall 28 is the winner. The cantilevered motor-supporting platform 38 will move or pivot at the pivots 35 as the gear 44 rotates in engagement withthe metal ring 48, however, the spring 60 will constrain the pivotal movement of the supporting platform 38.

While each of the trackways is of the same length and the cars are generally similar, the vibration will cause different results to be produced with each race, and the results will vary from race to race, thereby producing an uncertain result each time the toy is operated.

The toy is very simple and inexpensive to produce, easy to operate and provides considerable enjoyment for the participants.

We claim:

1. A toy racing game comprising a racing panel having a plurality of trackways, a racing member for each trackway, vibrating means for vibrating said racing panel to cause said racing members to move'along said trackways, said vibrating means including an electrically operated motor and a gear rotated thereby engaging a member on said racing panel, said motor supported on a cantilevered supporting platform pivotally mounted on said racing panel, and means for constraining the pivoting of the cantilevered motor supporting platform with respect to the racing panel.

2. A toy racing game as defined in claim 1 in which the racing panel is supported on resilient legs.

3. A toy racing game as defined in claim 1 in which the racing members have spaced legs engaging the racing panel.

4. A toy racing game as defined in claim 3 in which the spaced legs of the racing members are resilient and formed as an integral part of the racing members.

5. A toy racing game as defined in claim 3 in which the racing members have a plurality of spaced front legs and a plurality of spaced rear legs with all the legs inclined rearwardly.

6. A toy racing game as defined in claim 5 in which the front legs and the rear legs are generally parallel to each other and extend at an angle of approximately 30.

7. A toy racing game as defined in claim 1 in which the trackways extend generally linearly for the main part and have a reverse turn at the front end so that each racing member when it reaches the front end of each trackway will be caused to turn and move reversely from its initial forward movement along the same trackway.

8. A toy racing game as defined in claim 1 in which the constraining means is a resilient member which urges the cantilevered platform towards the racing panel. 

